Asset allocation is straightforward and extreme: equity surges to a record O/W of 67%; commodities also at record O/W of 28%; bond allocation tumbles to -66%, lowest since April’06 and close to a record low.

The February FMS is one of the most bullish in years. Institutions have record equity and commodity overweights, very low cash levels and the strongest risk appetite since Jan‘06.

The latest investment surveys show 52% bulls and a mere 13% bears. We heard anecdotally that at the ISI conference, the widespread majority believed new highs were coming for equity valuations, bonds were the most detested asset class, and that inflation was going to rip.

One person who attended told us that he had never before been to an event when the consensus was so one-sided, and that says a lot when you consider all the tech conferences being held in 1999 and 2000.

Reading a Bloomberg news story this morning, we were reminded that you have to go back 40 years to see the last time the U.S. stock market surged as much as it has in the past six months with such little volatility and opportunities to buy on dips along the way. In other words, this is not a normal market by any means,having been a virtual straight line up ever since Mr. Bernanke announced QE2 in late August.

And the same institution that conducted the survey above also just published a report concluding that the Shiller cyclically-adjusted P/E ratio is a relic and not to be relied upon as a valuation tool — perhaps because it is now suggesting that the market is 30% more expensive relative to historical norms.